I'm out for the night and I'm not going to make a pick now. Y'all are taking too many Russians I've never heard of, so I'm re-evaluating my strategy ... I'll pass the baton to the Dunlops for now and spend tomorrow thinking about this while I'm supposed to be working.

Only three teams have taken Russians! One is a coach that was expected to go in the big league draft and the two others are from the Summit Series in 1972. I don't expect the majority of g.m.s to select more than one or two Soviets if that.

The problem with drafting players who didn't play in the NHL (or against NHL players in international competitions like the Summit Series and Canada Cups) is that there's a big question mark about how well they would have fared in the NHL. Even in North America, the WHA had some great talents wooed over to higher salaries in that league. The players who spent the majority of their careers in the WHA with only 2 or 3 NHL years are a bit suspect, but those who put together 5-7 solid NHL years in addition to the WHA are clearly great. It's a judgement call. The draft is NOT just for NHLers, but to draft NHLers is a safe way to go, as there will be fewer question marks about performance ability in an all-time hypothetical context.

So no need to totally re-evaluate your strategy.

Hockey Outsider and I have a long list of 80+ players we've put together for draft consideration and only 3 of them never played in the NHL, which is not to say we aren't slack jaw in awe at wisent's selection of Tarasov (legendary coach) and Shadrin (played excellent against top NHLers in international play).

Hockey Outsider and I have a long list of 80+ players we've put together for draft consideration and only 3 of them never played in the NHL, which is not to say we aren't slack jaw in awe at wisent's selection of Tarasov (legendary coach) and Shadrin (played excellent against top NHLers in international play).

I too have a 50-ish name list, but I projected I'd only get 1 or 2 of my top five, and -- except McPhee, whom I drafted -- all are still available. I'm left wondering, did I miss something? Are my projections that far off?

Short but highly skilled blueliner. 146 points in 452 NHL games, 334 PIM. Second team NHL all-star (1945, 1949). In the all-star game (1949, 1950). He scored the tying goal to help the Habs to split its games in Boston to close out the Stanley Cup championship series back home in game five in 1946.

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Harmon helped secure Lord Stanley’s Cup twice in his time with the Canadiens.. In 1943 he was the runner up.. for the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year award).

Harmon’s professional hockey career concluded with him playing his last four seasons with the Montreal Royals of the QHL. At the end of the 1954-55 season, Harmon retired from hockey at the age of 34.

The Springfield Ice-o-Topes are happy to select one of the all-time greats of international hockey, and a true Swedish legend:

Sven "Tumba" Johansson

A massive player for his day at 6'3, 210, Tumba was a scoring machine both domestically (8 Swedish titles, multiple scoring titles) and in the world championships. He lead Sweden to their first 3 world championships, and was named player of the tournament on two of those occaisions. He also lead the tournament in scoring twice. After his retirement, Sweden would not win another WC untill 1987. He is 5th in WC points, and 2nd in goals, and is the highest non-Russian in each category (behind the likes of Mikhailov, Kharlamov, Maltsev and Petrov). Tumba also competed in 4 Olympic games, and lead the tournament in scoring in 1964.

The Soviets had the utmost respect for Johansson, and were often forced to resort to unusual tactics to try to contain the big Swede. In the 1957 in front of 50,000 supporters in Moscow (the largest in history), the Soviets double-teamed Johansson, leaving a player unchecked much of the game. Johansson scored twice, and Sweden won their second WC in the heart of the USSR.

In 1957 the Bruins made Johansson the first European to be invited to try out for the NHL. Tumba scored 5 points in 5 games with their minor league team, and recorded a goal in the only exhibition game he played with Boston. However, he chose to return to Sweden so he could maintain his 'amateur' status and continue to represent the Tre Kronor internationally.

We'll have our pick shortly. Just want to double-check with the co-GM (who's been out of town the last few days, probably at a drag race) on who we want for the next pick. Spit said he'd be around for a bit, too.

Sorry about the delay. If I haven't heard from Murph in an hour, we'll go with our initial plan.

Sorry about the wait, gentlemen. The Estevan Strippers are pleased to select their Twin Towers on the blue-line.

A Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, a finalist with Philadelphia in 1987 and 1997, and an all-star game participant in 1988, he stands 6'6". He's tough, he's rugged, and he used his enormous reach to become one of the top defensive defencemen in the late 80s and early 90s: D Kjell Samuelsson.

And a three-time Stanley Cup champion - two with the Edmonton Oilers and one with the New York Rangers - he's not as big as Kjell and doesn't have Kjell's reach. But he's 6'4", he's mean, he's tough, he's rugged, and he has very underrated hockey sense and positioning: D Jeff Beukeboom.

We're confident that their size, reach, aggressiveness and hockey sense will make them an impenetrable duo in our Boston Garden-sized rink.

I too have a 50-ish name list, but I projected I'd only get 1 or 2 of my top five, and -- except McPhee, whom I drafted -- all are still available. I'm left wondering, did I miss something? Are my projections that far off?

Only three teams have taken Russians! One is a coach that was expected to go in the big league draft and the two others are from the Summit Series in 1972. I don't expect the majority of g.m.s to select more than one or two Soviets if that.

The problem with drafting players who didn't play in the NHL (or against NHL players in international competitions like the Summit Series and Canada Cups) is that there's a big question mark about how well they would have fared in the NHL. Even in North America, the WHA had some great talents wooed over to higher salaries in that league. The players who spent the majority of their careers in the WHA with only 2 or 3 NHL years are a bit suspect, but those who put together 5-7 solid NHL years in addition to the WHA are clearly great. It's a judgement call. The draft is NOT just for NHLers, but to draft NHLers is a safe way to go, as there will be fewer question marks about performance ability in an all-time hypothetical context.

So no need to totally re-evaluate your strategy.

Hockey Outsider and I have a long list of 80+ players we've put together for draft consideration and only 3 of them never played in the NHL, which is not to say we aren't slack jaw in awe at wisent's selection of Tarasov (legendary coach) and Shadrin (played excellent against top NHLers in international play).

The Springfield Ice-o-Topes are happy to select one of the all-time greats of international hockey, and a true Swedish legend:

Sven "Tumba" Johansson

A massive player for his day at 6'3, 210, Tumba was a scoring machine both domestically (8 Swedish titles, multiple scoring titles) and in the world championships. He lead Sweden to their first 3 world championships, and was named player of the tournament on two of those occaisions. He also lead the tournament in scoring twice. After his retirement, Sweden would not win another WC untill 1987. He is 5th in WC points, and 2nd in goals, and is the highest non-Russian in each category (behind the likes of Mikhailov, Kharlamov, Maltsev and Petrov). Tumba also competed in 4 Olympic games, and lead the tournament in scoring in 1964.

The Soviets had the utmost respect for Johansson, and were often forced to resort to unusual tactics to try to contain the big Swede. In the 1957 in front of 50,000 supporters in Moscow (the largest in history), the Soviets double-teamed Johansson, leaving a player unchecked much of the game. Johansson scored twice, and Sweden won their second WC in the heart of the USSR.

In 1957 the Bruins made Johansson the first European to be invited to try out for the NHL. Tumba scored 5 points in 5 games with their minor league team, and recorded a goal in the only exhibition game he played with Boston. However, he chose to return to Sweden so he could maintain his 'amateur' status and continue to represent the Tre Kronor internationally.

And he has a killer nickname.

You have a knack for takaing players from my list. Never thought anyone would take Tumba.

You have a knack for takaing players from my list. Never thought anyone would take Tumba.

I had Tumba rated as one of the top offensive centres available, I think in my top 10. There are lots of quality offensive centres available, they are sort of a dime-a-dozen asset in this draft, but Tumba was one of the better ones. Would have definitely looked at him for a mid-round pick.

Tumba was taken in at least one previous all-time draft (when there was less g.m.s even) so it's no big surprise that he goes now, in fact, in retrospect, it's surprising the center didn't go in the main draft.

Hockey history should remember guys like him.

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Originally Posted by arrbez

Sven "Tumba" Johansson

223 goals in 245 international games.

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...in some ways a Gordie Howe type of player, very hard to stop and impossible to separate from the puck. He was however far from complete as Howe. Tumba's strength was his hard and accurate shot that always seemed to be on target. With his combination of physical strength and good hands he was a scoring threat whenever he had the puck.

His weakness was that he didn't pass the puck as much as he should have. He didn't use his teammates very often which in one way made him a little bit of a one dimensional player. But why should he pass when he scored ? He was very well liked by his teammates because of his easy going attitude off the ice.

... he enjoyed speed skating in his early teens and won the 1892 Junior Amateur Championship.... played the position of cover point, similar to today's defenseman. Fast and wiry, Boon is credited with being the first player to use the poke-check.